Tag: CM Punk

Forbidden Door 2023 predictions: Who will win each match in Toronto?

Who will come out on top when AEW and NJPW come together once again in Toronto for Forbidden Door 2023?

While All Elite Wrestling treats a drama-free work environment like its own forbidden door, the actual Forbidden Door event looks to be the best pro wrestling show of the year on paper.

The card has a little bit of everything. It’s got a dream match between Bryan Danielson and Kazuchika Okada. It also features a grudge match between Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay. We’ve even got arguably Japan’s biggest star going against AEW’s young sensation.

And yes, it even has CM Punk, who missed last year’s event due to injury. The show has got it all, and the backstage drama could make an unwanted cameo, too.

With that said, here are my predictions for the event, which emanates from Scotiabank Arena in Toronto:

IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship: Kenny Omega (c) vs. Will Ospreay

The first encounter between these two (Wrestle Kingdom 17) was arguably the best match of 2023 to this point, and it took place all the way back on Jan. 4. I have no reservations in believing that they will do everything in their power to top that at Forbidden Door.

As far as a winner, I’m going to go with Ospreay to regain the title he lost back in January. Ever since Omega left New Japan Pro Wrestling and joined AEW, Ospreay has been one of the people in line to replace him as the promotion’s top foreigner. Whether he has succeeded in filling Omega’s shoes is up for debate.

However, Forbidden Door presents an opportunity for Ospreay to not only win back the title he lost at Wrestle Kingdom, but also put the world on notice that he is indeed capable of fulfilling the role Omega once held and thrived in.

By the way, I have a not-so-sneaky suspicion that Don Callis will have some involvement in the outcome.

Winner: Will Ospreay

Bryan Danielson vs. Kazuchika Okada

If there is one match I have to watch on this show, it’s this one. Before this match was announced, it had never occurred to me that Danielson and Okada never had a match together — and that I also wanted to see it so very badly.

The story tells itself: Danielson is widely regarded as the best technical wrestler in the world. Okada, while not quite as technical as Danielson, can lay claim to being simply the best all-around wrestler on the planet given his classics with Omega and others. These two worlds collide (no pun intended) on Sunday, and it should make for an absolute classic.

So who will win this match? For me, this is one of those proverbial toss-ups. You really can’t go wrong either way, but my gut is telling me that Danielson will pull off the victory.

Winner: Bryan Danielson

AEW World Championship: MJF (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

MJF has had some pretty big matches during his short career, but I believe Hiroshi Tanahashi represents his biggest contest to date.

MJF, as he has reminded everyone on many occasions, has proven that he can hang with the best in the world time and time again. But I’m not sure he has faced someone with both the star power and the longevity like Tanahashi. Yes, MJF has gone up against the likes of Danielson, CM Punk and Chris Jericho, but none of them were the face of a major promotion for as long as Tanahashi was with New Japan.

MJF has many feathers in his cap, but I believe beating Tanahashi will be the biggest.

Winner: MJF

AEW Women’s World Championship: Toni Storm (c) vs. Willow Nightingale

Since Toni Storm recently won the title, I’m going with her to retain. However, I think Willow Nightingale will put on a star-making performance in defeat.

Winner: Toni Storm

IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Sanada (c) vs. “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry

No matter who Sanada faced in this match, I was probably going to pick him to retain. Seeing that his opponent was going to be Jack Perry only confirmed my thoughts. Nothing against Perry, who I am a big fan of, but I could not imagine New Japan putting its top title on him at the moment.

Winner: Sanada

Men’s Owen Hart Cup Tournament (Quarterfinal): CM Punk vs. Satoshi Kojima

According to reports, Punk was originally scheduled to face KENTA in what would have been another dream match over the who is the master of the GTS.

However, that never came to fruition and in steps Satoshi Kojima, who is a tremendous replacement.

Regardless of whether it was KENTA or Kojima, I’m still picking CM Punk to win and advance in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament.

Winner: CM Punk

10-man tag: The Elite, Eddie Kingston and Tomohiro Ishii vs. Blackpool Combat Club, Konosuke Takeshita and Shoto Umino

This match feels like it will be pure chaos. When the dust settles, however, I think the bad guys come away with the win mainly because I think AEW wants to maintain the momentum the Blackpool Combat Club has built up in recent months.

Winner: Blackpool Combat Club, Konosuke Takeshita and Shoto Umino

Six-man tag: Le Suzuki Gods (Chris Jericho, Minoro Suzuki and Sammy Guevara) vs. Sting, Darby Allin and ???

As of this writing, it has not been confirmed who Sting and Darby Allin’s partner. However, that will be unveiled on the second episode of Collision Saturday night.

Regardless of who the mystery partner is, I’m going with the good guys with this one.

Winner: Sting, Darby Allin and their mystery partner

AEW International Championship: Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Daniel Garcia vs. Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Katsuyori Shibata

Orange Cassidy has found miraculous ways to retain his title, and I think his run of good fortune continues at Forbidden Door. Although the outcome feels like more of the same, I believe this is a match that could steal the show.

Winner: Orange Cassidy

Adam Cole vs. “Filthy” Tom Lawlor

SPOILER WARNING IN CASE YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED RAMPAGE YET …

… but Tom Lawlor shows up on the show and attacks Adam Cole, setting up a match between them at Forbidden Door.

Lawlor is great, but I have no reason to expect Cole to take a loss in this one on his way to getting another match with MJF.

Winner: Adam Cole

Women’s Owen Hart Cup Tournament (Quarterfinal): Billie Starkz vs. Athena

This may be a nitpick in some people’s eyes, but I think it would have been nice to get this onto the main card instead of the pre-show. Obviously, something has to be on the pre-show, but the main card currently features only one women’s match.

Shoving the other women’s match to the pre-show is a move fans lambasted WWE for routinely doing just a couple of years ago.

No one can make the excuse that there just isn’t enough time. AEW’s pay-per-views typically run well over three hours because everyone is trying to have their own mat classic, which can make for a lot of great wrestling, but it typically comes at the expense of the women’s roster.

I feel like AEW’s women’s division is deep enough to have two matches on every pay-per-view, and if that means having a men’s match on the pre-show then so be it. If that meant putting the International title match (for example) on the pre-show, then so be it.

As far as the winner, I’m going to roll with the Ring of Honor women’s champ.

Winner: Athena

Tony Khan confirms CM Punk does not own a piece of AEW

AEW President Tony Khan put rumors that CM Punk owns a piece of the company to bed.

CM Punk‘s return to AEW has generated a lot of headlines, deservedly so due to the notoriety he has earned throughout a pro wrestling career with its share of controversial moments.

At All Out 2022, Punk sparked controversy with a brawl and an infamous press conference where he called out Adam Page. In the presser, Punk said that he was “trying to run a business,” which led to speculation that he owned a stake in AEW, kind of similar to Lionel Messi’s recent move to Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami.

During the AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door media call, however, AEW President Tony Khan put a pin in any rumors about Punk owning a piece of the company.

“That’s just a colloquialism,” Khan said. “I own the business, but he’s one of the top stars here and has an interest in AEW being a strong box office business.”

Khan went on to praise Punk for driving interest to AEW’s shows and his overall impact on the company.

“His return is helping us and helped launch AEW Collision with a great rating and he drives interest in our TV shows, pay-per-views, and merchandise,” Khan said. “He’s a huge star for us. He’s definitely interested in the bottom line being strong and he wants the company to do well. That’s a colloquialism, though.”

Punk’s original quote from 2022 seemed to focus on worrying about the AEW business and trying to help it succeed, rather than owning a stake in the company. Plus, a pro wrestler having a piece of a major wrestling promotion would be unprecedented, but as always, never say never in this business.

Punk has only been back in AEW for a few days, but he already has a big weekend ahead of him as he wrestles at Collision and Forbidden Door. The only thing he will own is the ring.

AEW Dynamite results 06/21/23: Leave the (Forbidden) Door open

Chicago hosts the final AEW Dynamite before Forbidden Door, and we’re tracking the action live.

We’re just four days away from Forbidden Door 2023, where the worlds of AEW and NJPW will once again collide, this time in Toronto. But unlike last year, tonight’s final AEW Dynamite before the supershow isn’t even the go home show.

The arrival of Collision has seen to that, giving Tony Khan and the brain trust behind the collaboration time to add matches almost literally right up to the last minute. That said, there should definitely be more pieces of the Forbidden Door puzzle that fall into place tonight in Chicago, and there will definitely be New Japan talent in the house.

Two of the promoted matches for tonight are proof of that. One will see Orange Cassidy and Katsuyori Shibata team up to tangle with Zack Sabre Jr. and Daniel Garcia. There’s a pretty decent chance this tag team bout is going to set up Cassidy vs. ZSJ in Toronto, a matchup yours truly would love to see.

In trios action, Minoru Suzuki will once again align himself with Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara. But things have changed since last year, as Suzuki no longer has his army behind him, and Jericho and Guevara aren’t exactly best buds these days either.

We will, of course, hear from a number of people, including Bryan Danielson, who has a high profile Forbidden Door match already lined up against Kazuchika Okada, and Adam Cole, who does not. There have also been reports that a certain favorite son of Chicago is in the building and may appear, and if you need me to tell you who that is, congrats on taking your first dive into pro wrestling. Hope you enjoy it enough to stick around.

Let’s dive into it, shall we Chicago?

AEW Dynamite results from Chicago:

  • The Gunns def. The Hardys by pinfall after a distraction from Bullet Club Gold, who proceed to help beat down Jeff and Matt after the bell; Ricky Starks and FTR join the fray on the side of the fan favorites, as does … CM Punk, who helps clear the ring and says the two groups can settle things in the ring on Collision

  • A video package promotes the Concession Stand Brawl between Jeff Jarrett and Mark Briscoe, which is well timed because it leads right into …
  • Jeff Jarrett def. Mark Briscoe by pinfall in a Concession Stand Brawl that sees Sonjay Dutt, Karen Jarrett, Papa Briscoe, Christopher Daniels, Best Friends and Lucha Bros. all get involved

  • Blackpool Combat Club and Konosuke Takeshita challenge The Elite to a 10-man tag (they’ll also have Shota Umino on their team) at Forbidden Door, while Bryan Danielson says he’s going to the ring to call out Kazuchika Okada and that the Rainmaker is a coward if he doesn’t show up

  • Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara and Minoru Suzuki def. Action Andretti, AR Fox and Darius Martin by submission when Jericho gets Martin to tap out to the Lion Tamer
  • Renee Paquette talks to the winners after the bell, giving Jericho a chance to call out Sting and challenge him, Darby Allin and a partner of their choice to a match at Forbidden Door; Sting and Allin come to the ring to accept and say they’ll reveal their partner at Collision

  • Tony Schiavone and RJ City kick off the draw for the Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament, the brackets for which will be unveiled next week on Dynamite
  • The Elite (in a pre-taped bit, we assume) acknowledge the challenge from the BCC, but they say they have friends all over and a lot of people hate the BCC too … like Eddie Kingston, who also says he’ll pick the fifth member of their team and make the announcement

  • Adam Cole hits the ring to give the Devil his due, admitting that MJF gave him one of the toughest matches of his career last week and calling out the champ to talk rematch; but not only does MJF refuse, Tony Schiavone informs them they’re a tag team for the tournament, but that’s not all …
  • … because Hiroshi Tanahashi appears on the big screen to remind MJF of the challenge the Ace made for Forbidden Door, and Cole manages to goad the AEW World Champion into accepting

  • Daniel Garcia and Zack Sabre Jr. def. Orange Cassidy and Katsuyori Shibata by pinfall as Garcia pins Shibata following a miscommunication by Cassidy and Shibata
  • Alex Marvez catches up with Will Ospreay, who doubles down on his criticism of Canada, to which Don Callis blames Kenny Omega for Will’s troubles and pledges his private security to aid Ospreay
  • Toni Storm disses the people that like Willow Nightingale, who takes the high road and says she respects the champ’s fight; the two women will meet for Storm’s title at Forbidden Door
  • Kris Statlander def. Taya Valkyrie by pinfall to retain the TBS Championship
  • Eddie Kingston says he thinks there’s one member of BCC who might have a problem with him teaming with The Elite, and sure enough, Jon Moxley comes out to confront his old friend before Kingston confirms the fifth member of their team is Tomohiro Ishii; the Stone Pitbull comes to the ring but is waylaid by the BCC, and Danielson’s threats bring Kazuchika Okada to the ring as well, and he gives the Rainmaker to Wheeler Yuta

Report: CM Punk-Kenta not happening at Forbidden Door

Kenta apparently wasn’t kidding when he said on social media he wasn’t going to wrestle CM Punk at Forbidden Door.

It looks like the battle over who gets to “claim” the Go to Sleep isn’t going to happen this weekend after all.

Fightful Select (subscription required) says it learned Kenta “expressed to NJPW and AEW that he isn’t facing CM Punk at the Forbidden Door show,” and that word began making the rounds last weekend at the premiere episode of AEW Collision.

Kenta has been pretty adamant on social media that he had no plans to wrestle CM Punk at the show in Toronto, so on one hand, this shouldn’t come as a big surprise. Still, many fans hoped it was all part of the build when Kenta tweeted that Tony Khan would need to pay him a ton of money to appear, and that things would trend in that direction this week.

Fightful Select’s sources say that was indeed the plan, “but as of this weekend, it wasn’t happening.” That would seem to suggest Kenta won’t be on the card at all.

As for Punk, it would be a bit strange for AEW to make such a big deal about his return on Collision and then leave him out of a big event immediately in its wake. Fightful’s report noted that “there were other options being evaluated” for him; commenters on the article thought that perhaps the storyline with MJF threatening to no-show the event would play out and leave Punk to face Hiroshi Tanahashi — a match that was supposed to happen last year at Forbidden Door before Punk was injured.

Considering that Punk was protected on Collision by working in a six-man tag match, it also wouldn’t be a shock if AEW continued to be cautious and worked up another multi-person match for him — NJPW wrestlers are well accustomed to being part of six- and eight-man tags. That won’t quite have the same impact as Punk vs. Kenta would have for some hardcore wrestling fans, but just seeing Punk at Forbidden Door at all should be fine for the masses.

AEW Collision results: CM Punk gets the pin in his first match back

Get all the details on the main event match from the very first episode of AEW Collision in Chicago.

Jim Ross joins the new Collision announce team of Kevin Kelly and Nigel McGuinness for the first main event in the series’ history. Jay White and Juice Robinson get boos as they enter, but the Chicago fans cheer for Samoa Joe. FTR pauses on the ramp to do the “clobberin’ time” deal with CM Punk.

The crowd quickly gets into a “CMFTR” chant as Dax Harwood tries to get a quick rollup on White, with Kelly joking about nearly needing to load up some standby matches. Dax nails Switchblade with chops in the corner, then takes him down with a clothesline. White regroups on the floor with Robinson before rejoining the fray.

Juice looks good as he tags in, but Harwood cools him off with some chops and gives Cash Wheeler an opening to continue their assault. He nearly gets Robinson with a backslide, then runs into a bodyslam. Wheeler returns the favor and tags Harwood back in. The fans want someone else, however, and Punk is legal for the first time. He tries to pin Juice after FTR hit him with a double team move but only gets two.

Punk wants the GTS and sees Robinson scurry into the corner to allow Joe to tag in. There’s an electric feeling as they stare each other down, and Punk weathers some heavy chops before grabbing a side headlock.

During a side-by-side segment, the heels re able to seize control, working over Harwood as a team. Dax is finally able to deliver a high German suplex to Juice, then tag in Cash. Wheeler rains down corner punches, then drops Juice with a big powerslam for two.

Punk is back in, as Kelly says they are “managing his minutes” in his return match. He’s mostly a bystander as the match goes picture-in-picture again, and now it’s Wheeler taking a beating from all three members of the heel side.

As Joe goes for a cover, Punk storms in to break up the pin. That doesn’t save Wheeler from suffering at White’s hands, Cash finally dives so Punk can receive the hot tag, and he comes in guns blazing. His swinging neckbreaker to White is a nice one, and he signals for the GTS again.

White rakes the eyes to prevent the finisher but eats a kick to the head. Punk goes up top but gets crotched by Robinson. Switchblade connects on a uranage for a near fall. He wants a Blade Runner too but is countered by a lariat.

Harwood tags in, and FTR has White in trouble. Superplex, splash and a big elbow from Punk leave CM looking for the pin, but Juice bails out his Bullet Club Gold partner. Joe is back in and Punk looks woozy. They slug it out and suddenly all six men are in the ring.

Punk and Joe end up isolated again, with Joe getting the Coquina Clutch applied. FTR can’t get to him to help right away, but Harwood is finally able to free himself and smash a shoulder into Joe.

Robinson tags back in, but FTR hit him with the Big Rig. That sets up the GTS, and Punk scores the pinfall in his first match back.

Click here for full AEW Collision results for the debut episode from Chicago.

AEW Collision results 06/17/23: Saturday night’s alright for CM Punk

Can AEW Collision make Saturday night must see TV for wrestling fans? Tonight’s Chicago debut will start putting that to the test.

Is the world ready for another two hours of prime time All Elite Wrestling each week? We’ll begin to find out tonight as the highly anticipated debut of AEW Collision comes to us live from the United Center in Chicago.

Call it the ultimate test of one of Tony Khan’s longtime assertions. He’s made it known that AEW has a big and talented enough roster to support more hours of programming each week. Warner Bros. Discovery agreed and said “let’s see what you can do on Saturday nights.”

The debut episode has some extra buzz around it thanks to a story you might have heard about if you follow wrestling at all: the return of CM Punk. Back in action for the first time since a combination of injury and suspension following All Out last fall, he’s been a boon to ticket sales for tonight’s show in his hometown, and curiosity over what he might say may attract plenty of TV viewers too.

It’s almost secondary (but not quite, since Punk has never wrestled at the United Center) that he’s in the main event, teaming with FTR to take on Bullet Club Gold and Samoa Joe.

Several other interesting returns are set for the Collision premiere. Both Miro and Andrade El Idolo will return to the ring after months away. Plus Wardlow will defend the TNT Championship, and The Acclaimed are scheduled to be in the house.

There’s a brand new (to AEW, that is) announce team. The set will likely be different from the one used on Dynamite. And Khan paid for a famous Elton John song to be the show’s opening theme.

AEW Collision results from Chicago:

(click on any match with a link for more details)

  • “I am the truth, and the truth is painful.” Fittingly, CM Punk starts off the show, walking to the ring to a huge reaction and carrying a bag with him; Punk says he’s done being nice and tells the crowd to tell him when he’s telling lies, saying people can call him whatever they want because they know he’s the truth

  • (cont.) Punk takes a shot at Young Bucks and also still has his title belt with him (presumably, as he never takes it out), saying it belongs to him until someone pins or submits him; he also has his boots and says until there’s someone in the company can fill them, he’s the one who needs to wear them

  • Luchasaurus def. Wardlow by pinfall after Christian Cage blasts Wardlow in the head with a camera he took from ringside, and Luchasaurus is the new TNT Champion (though Cage is celebrating like he won)
  • QT Marshall says Powerhouse Hobbs will win the Owen Hart tournament, something Hobbs himself asserts

  • Andrade El Idolo def. Buddy Matthews by submission, utilizing a move his wife made famous, the Figure Eight; afterward, Andrade tries to shake Matthews’ hand, but the lights go out to reveal he’s surrounded by the House of Black

  • A video package shows Scorpio Sky highlights and teases his return

  • Tony Nese tries body shaming the Chicago fans and says it’s time for group training, but he’s mercifully cut short by the return of Miro
  • Miro def. Tony Nese by submission
  • Skye Blue and Willow Nightingale def. Toni Storm and Ruby Soho by pinfall as Blue pins Soho, who accidentally was hit by spray paint in the eyes from Storm
  • Ricky Starks announces he’s entering the Owen Hart tournament and feels like it’s “absolutely” meant for him
  • Jeff Jarrett challenges Mark Briscoe to a Concession Stand Brawl, saying he’s played the long game and never loses at it
  • The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass say they’re about to get back on track for the trios titles and that AEW now also stands for “Acclaimed Every Weekend” before doing the first ever Collision Scissor, which includes Tony Schiavone as well
  • FTR and CM Punk def. Jay White, Juice Robinson and Samoa Joe by pinfall as Punk pins Robinson

AEW: Collision preview — CM Punk, more set for Chicago debut

Can AEW make a big impression with the premiere of Collision in Chicago?

It’s probably a little bit of hyperbole to suggest that the eyes of the entire pro wrestling world will be on Chicago tonight — but only a little. The highly anticipated nd much discussed premiere of AEW: Collision takes place at the United Center, ushering in a brand new era of AEW that will offer five hours of televised wrestling each week.

Can Collision become must watch TV? It’s taking a big swing early on with a return you might have heard about. CM Punk will not only get a chance to get some things off his chest, but he’ll also feature in the six-man tag team match that serves as the main event. Punk will team with good friends FTR to take on the Bullet Club Gold duo of Jay White and Juice Robinson, along with Samoa Joe.

Wardlow will also put his TNT Championship on the line, perhaps fittingly since the show is on TNT. He’ll battle Luchasaurus, but will have to keep his head on a swivel for Christian Cage too.

The women’s division will see yet another effort to shake it free from the grasp of The Outcasts when Skye Blue and Willow Nightingale step in against Ruby Soho and Toni Storm. And two other wrestlers who have been absent from AEW programming for some time, Andrade El Idolo and Miro, will return to the ring as well.

On top of all that, it stands to reason that Tony Khan and company may toss in a few surprises too. After all, they want people not just to tune in tonight, but to make Collision appointment viewing on a night that isn’t usually set aside for that for many people.

We’re anxious to see if they can pull it off. The premiere of AEW: Collision will kick off at 8 p.m. ET on TNT, and we’ll have full coverage right here on Wrestling Junkie.

CM Punk says he never considered leaving AEW, wrestling after post-All Out chaos

Despite all that’s happened since All Out last fall, CM Punk says he never considered walking away.

To say that CM Punk has had a tumultuous last nine months is a little like saying the Canadian wildfires that recently turned skies an apocalyptic haze in New York City were throwing off a little smoke.

Almost every pro wrestling fan knows the genesis of the turmoil: Immediately after winning the AEW World Championship against Jon Moxley at All Out last September, Punk went off on his co-workers — some of whom happen to also be AEW EVPs — in an expletive-laced press conference appearance.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, that led to reported backstage fisticuffs. People were suspended, though AEW never officially said they were. The title was stripped from Punk, even though it probably would have been anyway since he also hurt himself during the All Out match. He hasn’t wrestled since.

In the time since all that transpired, there have been numerous reports from outlets with sources close to Punk and/or The Elite about how everything would all be resolved. AEW itself finally answered some of those questions when it revealed Punk would be on the debut episode of its new Saturday show, AEW: Collision. He’s expected to be the top name on the series going forward.

But Punk is also 44, and has had trouble staying healthy during his stint in AEW. While he waited to see how his fate would play out during his recovery, did he ever consider just walking away from all of it and calling it a career?

As part of a highly anticipated interview with ESPN’s Marc Raimondi, he said no.

I certainly had some low moments, and I won’t rule out in those fleeting moments where I just say, ‘Ah, f— this, whatever. But I don’t ever think it was a serious intention to say that I’m done. There’s still work to do, and I think I’m excited about a lot of stuff that’s coming up. So, to just throw the baby out with the bathwater, just because of a little boo-boo, I think would be a little silly.

Whether AEW ever came close to making that decision for him is a question that may not be answered for a long time, given how quiet the company has been about the entire ordeal and that lawyers are apparently involved. But on the verge of what will be a surreal moment when Punk grabs a microphone on the premiere of Collision this Saturday, it’s worth noting that it’s one Punk seems he knew would arrive.

AEW: Collision — Date, card for Chicago debut

Take a look at the match card for AEW: Collision ahead of its premiere episode this weekend.

After months of hype and speculation, AEW: Collision will finally premiere. How will two more hours of wrestling impact the company’s storylines with a full summer of pay-per-views? Fans will find the answers ahead.

Collision is being built around CM Punk‘s return to the ring after dealing with injuries and the aftermath of the infamous brawl at All Out in 2022. Promising Punk a microphone in his hand, AEW will give him the chance to speak in his hometown of Chicago at the United Center. One can only imagine what he will say after so much time off, and who his first program will be with, especially with Forbidden Door near.

Punk will also wrestle on Collision, as he and FTR will team up to face Samoa Joe, Juice Robinson and Jay White in a star-studded main event.

Miro and Andrade El Idolo will also make their returns to the ring at AEW’s Collision premiere after extended absences due to injury and other factors. Fans did not see much of either wrestler in 2022, as Miro only wrestled four times and El Idolo last competed at All Out in September.

Wardlow and Luchasaurus will compete for the TNT Championship in the lone title match of the night (at least so far), and Skye Blue and Willow Nightingale will team up to face Toni Storm and Ruby Soho, continuing the events of Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite.

AEW: Collision premieres on Saturday, June 17. The show starts at 8:00 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on TNT. Here are all the matches on the card to date, which we’ll update as necessary until showtime:

  • CM Punk and FTR vs. Samoa Joe, Juice Robinson and Jay White
  • Wardlow (c) vs. Luchasaurus – TNT Championship match
  • Miro in action
  • Skye Blue and Willow Nightingale vs. Toni Storm and Ruby Soho
  • Buddy Matthews vs. Andrade El Idolo
  • CM Punk will speak

Is Kenta vs. CM Punk finally going to happen at Forbidden Door?

CM Punk and Kenta might be meeting at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door in a battle of the Go to Sleep masters.

Who is the true master of the Go to Sleep? It sounds like we’ll find out at Forbidden Door. Maybe.

Kenta was the man who first popularized one very specific way to introduce someone’s face to your knee, but the move became much more well known as the finisher for CM Punk. It’s not like Punk didn’t acknowledge he “borrowed” the maneuver — he’s always admitted as much, and that by not renaming his version, it was an homage of sorts.

Yet the two men have had something of a social media rivalry over the years over it, leading fans to wonder if they’d ever settle Go to Sleep custody in the ring. Now that possibility appears closer than ever, with Fightful Select (subscription required) reporting that “the working plan” is for Kenta to have a match at Forbidden Door.

We’ll give you two guesses who the opponent would be.

For his part, Kenta still says he needs a boatload of money to face Punk, which is what he’s been tweeting even before this most recent report.

The two men have never faced off in a match, much less one on one, so there would be a natural level of intrigue from hardcore wrestling fans to see them do battle. Of course, Punk is arguably AEW’s most reliable mass appeal draw too, so finding a place for him on the Forbidden Door card is simply good business sense — particularly with AEW pushing him heavily as the anchor of AEW: Collision, which will debut in Chicago the weekend before Forbidden Door.

The card for the June 25 show has only two official matches announced so far, but they’re both dream bouts for many fans: a rematch between Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay, and the first ever meeting between Bryan Danielson and Kazuchika Okada. Punk-Kenta could arguably be just a tad below those two, but there’s no denying it would be an attractive addition if it comes together.